


What Could Have Been

by some_fantastic



Category: Mother's Day (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Domesticity, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-09
Updated: 2013-06-09
Packaged: 2017-12-14 09:34:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/835427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/some_fantastic/pseuds/some_fantastic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>”You think your husband’s ever going to find out?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Could Have Been

There was definitely something to be said for sex. Ike had thought it would be easy. That's how things generally went for him. In, out, minimal mess. And never get emotionally involved. That was the biggest one. Ike wasn't exactly a career criminal, but being a mechanic didn't pay as well as he liked, and his brothers spent way too much time hustling pool to be any help at all.

The point was to never get involved. You just got your rocks off and moved on.

Well, by that time he had fucked that rule six ways from Sunday, so any other point he tried to make was pretty well moot. He wasn't much for thinking anyway, not when he was sprawled across a bed that didn't belong to him with a warm weight on his chest. Beth was pretty, in a way he didn't find most other girls. She didn't smile much, but you could tell she was always nice. He liked that, despite what anyone else might think.

Really, it had been an accident they'd even gotten involved in the first place. As much as he knew sleeping with a married woman was a bad idea, Ike didn't want to leave. Beth understood him, and she was a break from his family.

"You think your husband's ever going to find out?" That was the one thing he was curious about. Would she ever tell? Or was he just going to be relegated to the role of _the other man_ , only allowed to sleep over when Daniel was on a business trip. Ike tilted his head, looking down at Beth. He noticed the way the sun glinted off Beth's wedding ring. Despite everything they did together, she never took it off. Ike pretended not to care as much as he did. Beth tapped a finger against his chest, not meeting his gaze.

"He's cheating on me. I don't know who with. But I know." She sighed and rested her chin on Ike's chest. Ike wrapped his arm more firmly around her waist, his free hand coming up to brush her hair back. "Let him find out about us. I don't care." That drew a rough chuckle from him, and he shook his head slowly.

"Is that why I'm here?" Truthfully, he wouldn't have been surprised if she had said yes. They were from two different worlds, Ike and Beth. He never would have thought they'd end up together until it actually happened. And now look at them. So really, it made sense that she was just using him to get back at her deadbeat husband. Fuck him for wanting something extra, right? Beth licked her lips, folding her arms up on his chest and resting her chin on top of them. They stared at each other for a while before she spoke.

"Partially." Well, he should have known. Ike laughed shortly and nodded again, brushing the backs of his fingers over her cheek. "I can't actually be attracted to you, after all." Beth laughed after a moment. She turned her head, catching his thumb between her teeth. He grinned down at her and sat up, crossing his legs. The bedsheet pooled around his waist.

"Yeah," he agreed, running his fingers through his hair. "You're a real piece of work, you know?"

"Then why are you still here?" Beth sat up as well, pulling the sheet up to cover herself. Ike stared at her, wondering how this whole situation got started. Why did he get so attached so quickly? How the hell had he managed to get himself into this? Beth wasn't anyone special. They barely knew each other. But her hair was so soft and her eyes sparkled when she laughed. When _he_ made her laugh.

"You hit me with a frying pan the first time we met." Ike rubbed the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly. "I guess I kinda liked that." Beth pursed her lips, trying to hide a smile. It didn't work as well as she had hoped. To their credit, it had been a pretty funny story. Ike figured they'd have to keep it to themselves, but it was handy to keep around for a rainy day. Maybe one day - fuck him for getting sentimental - they'd be able to tell it to people. Their...friends. He'd never had real friends before.

"I might have to do that again if you like it so much." Ike laughed and shook his head, curling one hand into Beth's hair. He gently tugged her down, nosing at her neck.

"Better not. I'm too pretty to have you smack me around every chance you get." That drew a laugh from her, and Ike's grin widened. He nipped at her earlobe, voice growing quiet. "But I will let you spank me if you ask real nice."

" _Izaak_!" When Beth pulled away, her face was bright red. Ike chuckled and touched her cheek, tracing one finger down her side. She shivered but didn't object to him touching. He knew what she liked, probably better than her husband did. That made him feel a twisted kind of pride. The fact that she picked him over the guy she had married? That was pretty damn big. Plus she blushed so nicely whenever he said something dirty, as if just hearing it was enough to make it real.

"What?" he asked, feigning innocence. "I think you'd like it. We'll get you a short little skirt and you can tell me I've been a _very bad boy_ and-" Beth shrieked with laughter, pushing him playfully. "Hey!" Ike grabbed her by the waist, effortlessly rolling them over and pinning her to the mattress. He stole a kiss before letting her go, propping himself up beside her. "You should watch it with the full name." Only Mother called him Izaak, and only when he was in trouble. But dammit if he didn't like the way it sounded coming from Beth.

"I'll keep that in mind." Beth smiled and kissed him quickly, sitting up and slipping out of bed. Ike watched her dress, feeling oddly content. Was this really his life now? Spending weekends at Beth's house, pretending that he didn't have to go back to the room he shared with his brother once Sunday rolled around. “Do you want breakfast?” Ike licked his lips.

”Depends on what you’re serving.” It was a shame she was already dressed, but Beth derailed that train of thought quickly. Ike tried to hide a smirk as Beth leaned over and grabbed his jaw, forcing him to look up at her.

”Food, sweetie.” She patted his cheek and walked off. Ike laughed and sat up, reaching down to untangle the sheets from around his legs. He wandered off to the bathroom to shower, dressing in the change of clothes he had packed once he was clean. He’d made the mistake of not bringing a change last time and had to steal some of Daniel’s clothes. The fit wrong, and Addley still wouldn’t _shut up_ with all his damn questions about where Ike had gotten them, but it was better than walking around naked. Beth had this damn rule about pants in places that weren’t the bedroom.

When he wandered out into the kitchen, the smell of bacon greeted him. Ike inhaled deeply. He padded over the kitchen floor, hugging Beth from behind. She laughed as his hands slid over her stomach, one hand pushing her shirt up.

”It’s going to burn if you don’t keep your hands to yourself.”

”Anything I can help with?” Ike pushed Beth’s hair aside, leaning in to kiss her neck. He felt a hand on his hair, tugging him away.

”Go sit down.” Reluctantly, Ike pulled away and did as he was told. He watched Beth cook, feeling oddly sentimental. For a moment, he could forget that she had a husband and he had a rap sheet. There was just the two of them and they’d spent almost the whole weekend in bed and now she was making breakfast for him like they were a real couple.

Shit, what was wrong with him?

”Shouldn’t get so attached,” he murmured, resting his chin on the back of the chair. Beth glanced up for a moment and their eyes met. Ike immediately felt guilty. The conflict in emotions just made him dizzy. It was easier to pretend that he didn’t have a family to go back to, a family that didn’t even know what happened when he disappeared for days at a time.

They never talked while they ate. It was a habit left over from his childhood, mostly. You ate your dinner like a good boy and only spoke when spoken too. He wasn’t so good with words, anyway, unless they were in bed. And even then, his vocabulary was pretty limited. But he always said thank you when he was done (Mama had raised him right after all) and that was enough to make Beth smile. And their goodbyes were always lingering, full of last touches and kisses. Ike didn’t want to tear himself away but he knew he had a place to get back to. Still, there had to be some way he could reassure himself that he’d see Beth again.

“I know a thing or two about engines,” he said, nodding towards the car in the driveway. It was almost brand new, shiny. “And those new cars, they’re all worthless. Things…break down all the time.” He smiled suggestively. Beth shook her head, pressing a hand against his chest.

”Maybe next time.” She stood up on her tip-toes to kiss him one last time before opening the door. “I’ll miss you.” Ike wrapped his arms around Beth, kissing the top of her head. He didn’t look back once he left the porch, instead eyeing the car sitting idly in the driveway.

Three days later, a tow truck pulled up to the garage he was working at. He spent the whole time trying not to smile too widely.


End file.
